Tuesday, July 22, 2008

Giorgio!

Was the former Italy & Cosmos great (&ABC studio analyst) Giorgio Chinaglia involved in mafia corruption? This is sad, if true:

A notorious Italian organized crime gang tried to buy soccer club Lazio through third parties using funds gained from violence and intimidation, authorities said on Tuesday.

The plan by the Casalesi clan of the Camorra, the Naples version of the mafia, came to light as police in Rome served arrest warrants to 10 people including former Lazio player and president Giorgio Chinaglia.

In 2006, Lazio president Claudio Lotito was given police protection after receiving threats from "ultra" fans who were allegedly trying to intimidate him into selling to a consortium led by Chinaglia.

Chinaglia was charged with market-rigging linked to his bid and had since been a fugitive in the United States. Allegations that the mafia were behind his bid have only now been revealed.